Long time, no update. I suck. But things should proceed much faster now.
"Um, can somebody explain what is going on?" Trunks butted in, exasperated. "Bond-mates? Bond-heirs? What do those words mean?"
The three Saiyans blinked at him, clearly having forgotten he was there. Osper spoke up, "Well, it's complicated. And something of relevance to a Saiyan, not an outsider."
"Uncle, he can be trusted," Avia retorted firmly.
Spara put a hand on her father's arm and tugged his ear down to her mouth. "Father, he might be able to gain access to the computer system better than Avia can," Spara whispered. "But he would need to know what to look for." Avia narrowed her eyes but remained silent.
"Fine," Osper grumped after a moment of hard consideration. "I'll tell him. But know this, boy – this knowledge is sacred to Saiyans, and if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I'll kill ya."
"I understand," Trunks said somberly.
Osper lowered his head for a moment; he seemed to be gathering himself. When he raised his head, his eyes held a faraway look, and his voice was more rhythmic. "In the time of creation, the gods wished to make one race that was stronger than the others, capable of challenging the gods themselves in time. And great power they gave them - the harnessing of the ki, the strength of might and the desire for power. But in building this, the gods failed in one way – these children were selfish, pursuing their personal power at the costs of others of their kind. They fought each other, preferring fighting even over mating, and the race began to fail.
"But one god or goddess – they wisely do not tell us who – saw the way to give the Saiyans what they needed to survive. They needed to care for one another and to reproduce the next generation. And so the gods bound them through the mating bond.
"The Saiyans became compelled to search for the one to complete the bond. To find, they touched one another, seeing if the heat of their bodies inflamed the passions of the bond. To those who found it, the gods gifted their children with great strength and they rose above their genetically impure peers. And another, less thought-of gift – the truest companion any could ask for, one who knows your heart and mind and accepts all."
Spara added softly, "The gift is the continued improvement of the species. The price is the call of death."
"Only those strong enough to resist the call of death may survive the bond," Avia said, her voice thoughtful.
"Just as the King did several months ago," Osper said, shaking his head as his voice became normal. "Avia, you were there, by all reports – you saw the King nearly die. Only the intercession of the physician Bardock saved him. What could bring the Legendary low save the death of a bond-mate?"
"Let me get this straight," Trunks said. "The Saiyans can create genetically perfect children just by finding the right mate? But one mate's death could kill both?"
"Yes," Spara said. "And since bond-matings produce children almost without exception, and the King's line is gifted with sons, the true heir is out there, somewhere, probably unaware of his status." Trunks blinked with slow understanding as he realized that he was the person for whom they were looking. Spara continued, "It is said that as long as the King of the Saiyans pleases the gods, he will have a male line that stretches into infinity."
"And we want your help to find him," Osper added. "Avia, we've looked for a Saiyan woman who died on that night, who had no known mate or a false mate and who had a mysteriously powerful son. We've found nothing, and I'm starting to think that it's been covered up – that someone else knew what to look for, found it and hid it from us." Osper eyed the slave, his eyes narrowing as he caught the look of understanding that crossed the off-worlder's face.
"Why should I help you?" Avia answered haughtily. "You seek to depose my brother from his crown."
"It's not his crown!" Spara cried.
"It's all he has!" Avia shouted, then caught herself. She continued in a calmer voice, "He has been trained to do this since he was a baby. Why can't you just leave it alone?"
"Honestly?" Osper answered, catching up with the conversation again. "Because we want to find the bond-child, help train him to defeat the King and set himself up as the true ruler of Vegeta-sai. Because we need a ruler who won't kill a loyal subject to take his wife. Because we're tired of this arrogant ass who is subjugating us. We need a real ruler, and the missing bond-heir could be what we need."
"Then throw your support behind Vegeta," Avia said, her tone close to begging. "He is Montessi; he has a good heart and would be a good leader!"
"He's not the true heir, Avia," Spara said gently, "and that is the simple fact of it. Someday, the real heir will figure things out, and he'll step forward, and then your brother will be in a worse position, especially if he holds the crown at that time. Besides, with him being genetically impure, there's a fair chance that he'll never be strong enough to defeat the King."
"No one will take the crown from my brother," Avia snapped angrily.
Osper threw up his hands in surrender. "If you won't help us," Osper growled, "at least don't betray us to your mother or the King. But know this, Avia, we will find the true heir." With that, the older Saiyan turned and stomped away.
Spara hugged her cousin again, her eyes filled with sympathy. "Have your mother and brother come and see Mother. She misses her sister and her niece, and wants to meet Vegeta," she whispered to her cousin. When Avia nodded, Spara added, "And if you do decide to help us, you know where to find us. You are Saiyan; you should not have to say that you'll defend a King's crown for him. The King should do it himself." She jogged over to join her father as they lifted off together, curving off into the western sky.
Trunks was silent for a moment, trying to soak in all that had happened. "Avia," he finally ventured, "are you alright?"
"Yes, no, both," she answered wearily. "This is too much, Trunks."
"I know that Vegeta's the Prince and heir," Trunks said. "So his position seems secure."
"Until they find their bond-child!" Avia snorted. "And then, once they have him or think they have him, it won't matter whether my brother is a good man or not, only that he was born out of bond."
"Just as it doesn't matter that I am an Elite by your own best guess," Trunks said softly. "Believe me, Avia, I understand."
Avia shook her head unhappily. "I just don't know what to do," she sighed. "I can't rightly defend my brother and keep his crown for him."
Trunks put his arms around her and held her tight. "Maybe, the bond child won't want the crown," he suggested. "After all, it's a lot of work and you're always pissing someone off, no matter what you do."
"Maybe," Avia sighed, nestling deeper into his arms. "But I'd rather not find out."
But Trunks wasn't listening to her, instead he was hearing his mother. "He did love me, with a passion that went beyond himself. And I felt the same way. Sometimes, I even knew what he was thinking. It tore something out of him when he decided to leave me with Bardock. I know; I felt his heart break."
Nothing was said to Avia about not being at the opening ceremony, and she accepted that quietly, not wanting to ask any questions that might get her in trouble. Instead, she was swept up into the rest of the ceremonies – symbolic gifting ceremonies of furs and fire, parties of welcome and celebration, and displays of fighting prowess and Saiyan strength. Her only rest came at night, with Trunks.
Curled up in Trunks' arms, watching the fire burn, she mulled over the day's events. She was mostly tired, but she was also very concerned about Vegeta. Something had changed about him; her little brother was acting like his father. She had overheard him laughing at his father's mocking jokes about Montessi customs, but it was more than just catering to his father; he spent a lot of time degenerating Trunks. While Avia knew that Trunks could take care of himself, she had thought that her brother cared about the slave too. This sudden change was troubling.
"The King really isn't your father?" Trunks asked suddenly, drawing her attention to him.
She wiggled in his arm until she could look at his face and answered, "Yes, he really isn't, though he decreed that my father had never existed."
"Why?" Trunks asked with a frown.
"To cover his sin," Avia said simply. "He stole a bond-mate from her mate, forced her to be his, and all the while he had an unacknowledged mate. You know, if I just knew why he had done it, it might help me understand, but all I know is that he killed my father, and beat me if I spoke of him."
"He beat you for that?" Trunks said, looking at her with a shocked expression.
"It was against the law for anyone to speak his name or mention his existence," Avia answered, trying to keep her voice steady. "As a child, I understood it, but I hated it. And I hate him for putting me through all of it. I watched my father die; I watched my mother sign away her chance to join my father in death for my freedom. I hate him for taking me from the mountains to that hated desert where all the so-called real Saiyans looked down their nose at me. I hate him because I grew up hurt and afraid in a strange place." Her tail trembled against Trunk's thigh, tickling his leg; he quickly moved it, wrapping gentle fingers around it.
"Perhaps this isn't the time to mention this," Trunks murmured, "but my reaction to you – on the night of the Masquerade? It was because I thought he was your real father."
Avia sat up and turned to fully face him. As the fire heated her back, she murmured, "Then you hate him as much as I do?"
"Sort of," Trunks sighed, pulling the fur around his shoulders tighter. "It's complicated. I feel sorrier for him than anything else."
"You pity him?" Avia asked, confused.
"Well, yes. My mother," Trunks said, pausing as his voice caught. "My mother worked in the palace for a time, and she met him. She said he looked sad, like he had a terrible burden that he hid away from the world behind a wall of rage. She said that he had made some terrible mistake at some point."
"How did she know that?" Avia asked quietly. Trunks seemed contemplative, unguarded, and she tried not to break that spell.
"Well," Trunks said with a tight laugh as he realized he was treading on dangerous ground, "you have to understand, when Mom didn't know something, she'd make up a story about it. She used to tell me stories about everyone she knew at the palace; some of them were outrageous. But the ones she told about King Vegeta were always sad."
Avia looked at him speculatively, and Trunks tried not to flinch from her gaze. Finally, she leaned against him as she muttered, "Trunks, you really are a terrible liar. If you don't want to tell me something, just say so!"
"But, I didn't – why did you say that?"
"Trunks!" Avia laughed as she kissed him. "You are an open book to me. And you're just like my brother – you won't speak until your ready, so I just have to wait for you to be ready. Someday, you will tell me why your mother told sad stories about the King."